CO Notary Notary Journal & Records 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Must a Colorado notary record the signer's signature in the journal?
- No, it is not required
- Yes, the signer must sign or mark the journal for each notarial act (Correct answer)
- Only for jurats
- Only for real property documents
Correct answer: Yes, the signer must sign or mark the journal for each notarial act
Colorado requires the signer to sign or mark the notary's journal for each notarial act performed.
Question 2: When multiple documents are notarized for the same signer in a single session, how should the notary handle journal entries?
- One entry covers all documents
- A separate journal entry is required for each document notarized (Correct answer)
- Record only the first and last document
- A combined entry is acceptable for real estate closings only
Correct answer: A separate journal entry is required for each document notarized
Each notarial act on each document requires its own separate journal entry.
Question 3: What should a Colorado notary do if they make an error in a journal entry?
- Use white-out to correct it
- Erase the entry and rewrite it
- Draw a single line through the error, note the correction, and initial it (Correct answer)
- Remove the page and start over
Correct answer: Draw a single line through the error, note the correction, and initial it
Errors in the journal should be corrected by drawing a single line through the incorrect information, writing the correct information, and initialing the change.
Question 4: What happens to a Colorado notary's journal when the commission expires?
- It must be submitted to the Secretary of State
- The notary retains it for the required retention period (Correct answer)
- It must be destroyed to protect privacy
- It is filed with the county clerk
Correct answer: The notary retains it for the required retention period
When a commission expires, the notary retains their journals and must keep them for 10 years after the last entry.
Question 5: May a Colorado notary's employer retain custody of the notary's journal?
- Yes, upon the employee-notary's resignation
- No, the journal always belongs to the notary personally (Correct answer)
- Yes, if the employer paid for the seal
- Yes, with written permission from the Secretary of State
Correct answer: No, the journal always belongs to the notary personally
The notary's journal is the personal property of the notary and may not be retained or claimed by the employer.
Question 6: Does Colorado allow electronic notary journals?
- No, only paper journals are allowed
- Yes, Colorado authorizes tamper-evident electronic journals (Correct answer)
- Only for remote online notarization
- Only with Secretary of State pre-approval
Correct answer: Yes, Colorado authorizes tamper-evident electronic journals
Colorado authorizes the use of tamper-evident electronic journals as an alternative to paper journals.
CO Notary Notary Journal & Records 2
Must a Colorado notary record the signer's signature in the journal?